Mobile communication devices such as cellular telephones are in widespread use throughout the world, and particularly in metropolitan areas. In many of these regions mobile communication is now seen as virtually essential to every day life, and many users have used a number of different mobile communication devices over the past few years as technology changes to take advantage of new features found on newer models. The market in these regions has shifted from merely providing access to communication service to providing service enhancing features such as messaging, voice recognition, speaker phone, and so on. As new technologies emerge, users are inclined to buy new mobile communication devices that provide these new features. When a user decides to use a newer mobile communication device, the user would have to inform the communication service provider of the unique identifier associated with the mobile communication device, such as an international mobile equipment identifier, or IMEI. Furthermore, if the user has any calling numbers or other information stored in the old mobile communication device, it must be re-entered manually in the new mobile communication device.
To solve the problem of users having to re-enter information, and service providers having to re-provision service for a user's new mobile communication device, manufacturers of mobile communication devices began using small cards that have memory on board, and are used to store identity parameters and other information such as contact information and calling numbers. An example of such an identity card is the widely used subscriber identity module, or SIM card used in systems operated in accordance with the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) standard, as well as in mobile communication devices sold under the tradename iDEN, manufactured by Motorola, Inc. These cards are standardized so as to be interchangeable among mobile communication devices that conform to the standard.
As mentioned, the identity card is used to store, among other items of information, identity parameters. The identity parameters are transmitted upon powering up the mobile communication device to register for communication service. The identity parameters are received by the communication system infrastructure equipment, and are used to verify the user is allowed to access communication resources, and makes communications resources available upon verification. The use of an identity card permits the user to remove the card and place it into another mobile communication device that accepts such cards, thereby allowing the user to use any such card-accepting mobile communication device, and to bring along vital information such as calling numbers. When a user purchases a new mobile communication device, it is a simple task to remove the card form the old mobile communication device and place it into the new mobile communication device. Upon powering up the new mobile communication device, the new mobile communication device transmits the identity parameters to the communication service infrastructure which in turns registers the mobile communication device for service. The change in the actual mobile communication device can be transparent to the communication system.
Once a user has an identity card for use with an mobile communication device, the user can change to a new mobile communication device. The process of how a user acquires a first identity card will now be examined.
Typically a user receives an identity card with the first mobile communication device they purchase that uses an identity card. The card is supplied by the communication service operator, along with the mobile communication device, which is also typically purchased from the communication system operator. The card itself is manufactured by a card manufacturer, and is provided to either the communication system operator, or the mobile communication device manufacturer, and is preprogrammed with the identity parameters by the card manufacturer. When a user buys a mobile communication device and the identity card, the communication service provider must record the identity parameters and associate them with the user's record in the communication system.
One arrangement for selling mobile communication devices is for a manufacturer to manufacture, sell, and ship mobile communication devices to a communication system operator, who then ships the mobile communication devices to selling agents. These agents sell to the end customers, and collect customer information that is transmitted to the communication system operator so that the communication system operator can create an account for the customer and provide communication service to the customer. The information includes the necessary identity information of the particular mobile communication device sold to the customer, such as, for example, an IMEI number. This method, however, is not favored because it requires the selling agents and communication service providers to carry an inventory.
An alternative method of distributing mobile communication devices is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,029,143 and 6,393,408, both of which are entitled “Wireless Communication Product Fulfillment System,” and commonly assigned to Brightpoint, Inc. In both of these patents a system of order fulfillment for wireless or mobile communication devices is described. A fulfillment center receives orders from ordering agents which generate orders in response to sales transactions. The fulfillment center also receives components and holds them in a component inventory until they are to be assembled with a mobile communication device in a kit. Once an order arrives, kits are assembled to fill the order. In this model SIM cards are treated as components. Orders arrive at the fulfillment center for kits, and specify the identifier to be used for each particular phone in each kit that is assembled at the fulfillment center. Since SIM cards are conventionally manufactured with the identifier number, the fulfillment center must keep track of which SIM card goes with a particular kit. The communication service providers are assigned a block of identifiers, and as new orders are taken, the identifiers are taken from the list and entered into the order. The order is then transferred to the fulfillment center which locates the SIM with the corresponding identifier and assembles it into the kit, which may include installing the SIM into the phone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,253 to O'Neil et al, and assigned to BellSouth Corp., describes an alternative method of providing method of providing SIM cards for order fulfillment. A cellular service provider takes orders for new subscribers, assigns an international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI) to the order. The IMSI is then sent to a SIM manufacturer which manufactures a SIM, programs the IMSI and a SIM number into the SIM, and then ships the SIM to a distribution center where the SIM is matched to a kit including a phone having an IMEI number. The distribution center ships the kit to a customer, and transfers the SIM and IMEI information to the cellular service provider. This method also requires the order fulfillment center to match a specific SIM with a particular order.
Therefore there is a need for a method of mobile communication device order fulfillment that obviates the need to match a particular identity card with a specific mobile communication device.